Ponitz's First FTC Tournament

I'm not sure where to start, so just bear with me if I jump around a bit. (Click on photos to see a larger photo.)

I'm a coach of a rookie First Tech Challenge robotics team. The other coach, Craig Trzaska and I spent last summer meeting with business partners and other coaches getting ready to start the first FTC robotics program at Ponitz.

We started our team in August with 11 students and went to the kick-off in Cincinnati early in September. We came back with lots of ideas and started planning. The students chose the name,  Pericula Pantherae (Latin for Danger, Panthers!) and started working on a logo. We did some prototypes with cardboard while we waited for grant money to come in so we could order parts.

Another team loaned us their drive chassis (what you build the robot on top of) and we decided to order one when we received some money from GE. It didn't take long to build it, so we practiced driving it and programming it for autonomous mode. (Autonomous is during the first 30 seconds of the competition. The robot is only controlled by what it was programmed to do.)

Around this time, while we were waiting to order parts, we lost two team members because they were bored and were tired of waiting to get parts to build the arm of the robot. Another one didn't have the time for practices and also dropped out. Thankfully we had three students who were willing to join the team to replace them.

We were told we were awarded grant money, but there were issues with receiving it. We didn't actually get the money until the beginning of November. We immediately ordered the parts and a week later started working on the arm of the robot. We got the arm built before winter break but had to wait to attach it to the robot until we got back after winter break.

Our first tournament was January 19-20. We were supposed to start back to school on January 4th, but school was cancelled the next 3 days. We then had 3 days of school, and then another snow day. Then there was Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and a professional development day the following day, so the kids were off those two days.

We then had two more days of school and the next day we left for our first tournament. We were under a huge time crunch last week to get the arm attached to the robot and get all the motors working and communicating with the controllers. I really worried that it just wasn't going to get done.

Last Thursday was our last practice and the robot was working!! We didn't have anything programmed for the autonomous part, but we were able to move blocks around, and that's what our robot was supposed to do. (There are other parts to the challenge, but with the time frame we had to work with, all we could manage was to move blocks around.) Also, two of the five girls on the team ended up being too busy to come to practices and go to the first tournament. So we were down to 9 on the team. (Nine is a still a good number.) 

Friday morning, after they practiced maneuvering the robot and adding last minute details to the robot, we left for the tournament in Van Wert, Ohio. We got to the hotel early, so the kids (and coaches) had about two hours to play in the pool. After dinner we went to robot inspections.

"last minute details"

Pool at the hotel

First we went through hardware inspections and we immediately had a problem - the robot was about 1/4" too big. The expansion hub was sticking out too far and one wire was also a problem. The students immediately knew what to do to solve the problem. Coach Trzaska and I stood back while the students worked on taking the robot apart, moving the expansion hub over, filing a notch for the wire to fit into, and then reassembling the robot. They went back into hardware inspection and we passed. Then we went for field inspection, where they have to turn on the robot and show the inspectors what our robot did. And again, we passed inspection!

Meanwhile, the DRSS Enterprise team, the varsity robotics team from the Dayton Regional STEM School, came to welcome us and see if we needed anything. They knew we were a rookie team and this was our first tournament. We asked them some questions about the judges interview that would happen the next morning and they said they could show us their presentation.

This is when you hear brakes screeching in your head and the word "presentation" echoes over and over in your head. We had no presentation. I then look at the students who were listening and said "I guess we're supposed to do a presentation." You can imagine the freak out that happened next, because students LOVE presentations. Basically everyone said they weren't going to do the presentation. (I think they were hoping us coaches would pick someone else to do it.)

So DRSS Enterprise did their presentation (with a few substitutions since they were missing people) and our kids got a better idea of their team, the things they do when they're not working on robots, and how their robot works. Our kids "got it" and thankfully several started volunteering to do different parts of the presentation. Long story short, they practiced that evening and the next morning they did great! Coaches aren't allowed to watch, so we had to go with what the kids said. One of the kids felt like one of the judges was implying that our robot was trash (ugly) because it was a lot of rough parts and duct tape. But other than that, it went well. (Spoiler alert - the kids would find out later that the judges definitely did not think their robot was "trash.") 

(Sidenote, I do not have a photo of the robot because... well, it has a lot of rough parts and duct tape. I won't say it's ugly, but it's definitely not pretty.)

Back to Friday night, after inspections, we met in the breakfast area of the hotel to work on the robot and make some adjustments. Some practiced their presentations, some snacked and chatted with other teams, some worked on the robot. In the photo below you see two of our kids (foreground) working on the robot with one of the coaches from DRSS Enterprise. In the background you see and a few members of the Power Stackers team, also from Dayton. (Remember these names, they are very important later in the story.) We're so thankful they were staying at the same hotel as us. After the robot repairs, the Power Stackers let us use their practice field to test out the changes.

Okay, I have one photo of the robot. You're looking at the top of the robot where the "scoop" is.

The next morning we headed to the high school, found our table in the pit area (where teams put their stuff) and got settled. The students practiced their presentation again and then waited for the runner to come get them. I think they were all a little overwhelmed by how many teams were there, all the activity going on, the great displays that some teams had (we had none), and how sophisticated some of the robots were.

Oh hey, another photo of the top of the robot! The kids are waiting for the judges interview. Please note all the hands that aren't touching a cell phone. It was kinda a miracle. (We asked them not to use them unless taking photos.) 

They went off to the judges interview and about 15 minutes later they came back. They looked like they had just survived something huge. For most of the team, their part was done. However, for David, our lead driver, Antwan, our lead programmer, and Nathan, our lead builder, the pressure of the day was just getting started. Throughout the day they would discover a problem and then scramble to fix it before the next match. 

Here's some photos of our team in the gym while we waited for the opening ceremony.

Our team, minus me.
Left to right, Aaron (programmer), Tashawna (engineering notebook and team representative), Jayden (programmer), Craig Trzaska (the calm coach), David (driver), Keene (builder and entertainment), E'mani (builder and future programmer), Dondrell (builder and entertainment), Antwan (lead programmer), and Nathan (designer and lead builder).

Our team, with me (the overly excited coach).
From left to right, Aaron, Jayden, David, Tashawna, Keene, Craig Trzaka, E'mani, Nathan, and Dondrell (Antwan is missing!)

Everything went so quickly. The tournament immediately started as soon as the opening ceremonies were over. We were the 7th and 11th round before lunch. They happened about 5 minutes apart! Our first round was amazing. I decided to capture it through facebook live, here's the video:
https://www.facebook.com/cdp7227/videos/10212575772844194/

First, we weren't supposed to have anything during autonomous mode, but they decided to go ahead and run the program that Antwan had written. Amazingly, the robot moved off the balance board and into the safety zone, which earned us points!! (You can hear the shock and amazement in the video.) In the video I mention that it's our first round and each one would get better, this was actually wrong. Rounds 2 and 3 our robot did nothing. We figured out a wire was coming loose after being set on the balance board. This was resolved, but then autonomous didn't work correctly for 4 or 5.

Highlights from each round:
Round 1 - arm didn't work but we were able to push a block (a "glyph") into the rails. We were also able to get the robot back onto the balance board. Our alliance earned 118 points. (The other team we were in an alliance with is next to us. We competed against the teams across from us.) We didn't win, but we did much better than we thought we would. After the first round we were 23rd out of 28. (Our highest ranking of the day.)

Round one teams (we're #13241)

Round 2 - robot didn't move.
Round 3 - robot didn't move (this actually happens often, even with the sophisticated looking robots. It's frustrating, but it just puts the kids into problem-solving mode). Video below shows both of us on the blue alliance were unable to get our robots to move.

Round 4 - autonomous started before it was supposed to and we got a penalty. The arm got stuck extended, and David (the driver) went into "Godzilla mode" where he basically pushed blocks towards our alliance partners using the extended arm. (We later found out we're only supposed to push 2 blocks at a time, but they didn't say anything.) I don't think we pushed any glyphs in, but David again got the robot back on the balance board at the end. (Something we were starting to discover about half the teams couldn't do.)

Beginning of Round 4 (our guys are on the right)

Round 5 - Our alliance partners came over to talk to us (the first time this happened). They asked us to push blocks towards them because this greatly helped them out. So instead of working on placing a glyph, we just pushed blocks. Didn't use autonomous mode, but David, again, got the robot back on the balance board.

And that was the end of the tournament for us. We ended up 25th out of 28. Not bad for a team whose robot was fully put together and running just two days before. We decided our goal for next week's tournament would be to get higher than 25th.

We went out to the gym for the alliance selection. Actually, Tashawna and Nathan came out with Coach Trzaska and me and the rest stayed back in the pits to just chill. What happens is that the top 4 teams get to pick 2 other teams to be in an alliance in for 2-3 more rounds (bracket style elimination) to determine the winners of the tournament.

Representatives from all 28 teams. Tashawna is in blue, about 6th from the left.

Tashawna is in blue in the middle. 

The top team were our friends, DRSS Enterprise. Their first pick was the Power Stackers, another team we had gotten to know. On the third pick, they said they wanted to go with a rookie team, and unbelievably, they called our number. (I wasn't expecting this and completely missed it because I was talking to a friend. I'm so glad that she finally got my attention.) Tashawna was in shock and she's the one who has to say if she's going to accept or not. (The only reason you'd not accept the invitation is when your robot doesn't work.) She actually wasn't sure what to do, so she walked over to the other two teams, asked them if they were sure, and then she announced (into the microphone) "Team 13241 graciously accepts." (This is the language normally used.)

The boy in yellow is the representative from DRSS Enterprise. The boy in the black tuxedo shirt is the representative from the Power Stackers. Here you can see them plotting the big surprise. 

I finally got it together to take a photo of Tashawna standing with the other two teams in the alliance.

I was in such shock over what just happened that I was completely overcome with emotion and burst into tears, laughing the whole time. And then I said 'WHHYYYY????" All the captains and parents of those teams knew this was going to happen and two were with me when this happened. (One got video, another got a photo.) They told me over and over it was because the other two teams had already qualified for state and they were giving us an opportunity to qualify too. I think I let out another shocked "WHY???" By choosing us, they were risking not winning the tournament (keep in mind that they were in first place at that point). But it was more important to them to do something amazing for us.

(Not the calm coach)

Coach Trzaska said that when he heard them call our number, he was in huge shock too. One of the coaches from the Power Stackers was sitting next to him and had to explain the "why" to him too. They announced that the next rounds would start in 5 minutes, so Mr. Trzaska ran back to the pits to tell the kids to get the robot ready! The team was in shock and we kept trying to explain to them that if our alliance won, we'd go to state! (I'm resisting the urge to put tons of explanation points.) We hurried back to the gym to watch the last few matches.

The first round of the alliances was Enterprise and the Power Stackers, the second round would be us and the Power Stackers, and if we made it to the third round it would be Enterprise and the Power Stackers again. That second round was INCREDIBLE. We didn't try the autonomous (afraid we'd get a penalty), but David shoved those blocks around to help the other team. Then, unbelievably, we got THREE blocks in!! I wish I had taped it, we (the rest of the team in the stands) were screaming the whole time. David, Antwan, and Mr. Trzaska were cool as cucumbers like it was no big deal.

Showing the alliances who were currently competing. We're at the bottom in blue.

Watching the first round. I wonder what was going through their heads.

At the end of our round. You can see 3 blocks in the rails on the left, and all 12 were placed on the right by the Power Stackers. Our robot was also back on the balance board. 

We were so incredibly hopeful, but in the end we lost by 10 points. We were disappointed, but still amazed at what just happened. Our alliance partners had already qualified for state, they were playing their best to get US to state. And then we heard that there may have been a mistake in the scoring. Rulebooks came out, judges were questioned twice, but both times the decision was made to keep the score. Rachel, the captain from Enterprise, came over to apologize to us that we didn't make it. Really? We were so incredibly grateful that they even tried, but she explained, that's the spirit of First Tech Challenge.

So we headed back to the pits to pack up our stuff and head to the awards ceremony. We assumed we weren't winning anything, but it's gracious to go and cheer for those who did win. (You can bet we cheered loudly any time the Power Stackers or Enterprise won something.)

The first award was the Judge's Choice. They said they were giving the award to an up and coming team who they were confident would do well in future tournaments. They called it the Rising Star award and then announced our team! Again, we were in SHOCK. We told Tashawna to go up and get it and the people around us told us ALL of us should go. I'm not sure if coaches should go up there too, but Mr. Trzaska and I ran up there on the stage with the kids. Coming off the stage I got several hugs from other coaches (and again, I was tearing up again). 

Left to right (sorry about the bad lighting): Tashawna, Aaron, Jayden, Keene, (I believe Dondrell is behind Keene), E'Mani, David, Nathan, Antwan, Coach Trzaska and Coach Parsons.

Here's the official listing of the awards: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWvUtJjdPrGt2n8f3DpfzAxAp6pJ4FZG/view

You guys, do you have any idea what this did for our kids? Honestly, they were never negative about our robot, they never doubted it would do what it was supposed to do. But I think they assumed we'd be at the bottom of the teams, we wouldn't interact with other teams like we did, and we definitely wouldn't be recognized for anything. I saw a couple with huge smiles and I'm not sure I've ever seen them smile that much. They have a better idea of what they're capable of, and that there are people out there who will help them reach their goals.

Another thing I want to mention about our team, they are truly a team. They're all friends and they accept each other just as they are. They had a great time playing in the pool and getting to know each other better. I wasn't sure how well they got along until I found out that after "lights out" Friday night, they started playing pranks on each other. I didn't get all the details (I don't think I was supposed to get any) but they were getting each other to go to another room and then trying to scare the crap out each other. Each person who got pranked, then worked with the others to prank someone else. As much as I'd like to lecture them, it was a sign of unity that I wasn't sure they had.

My heart is so full I think it could burst. I'm so proud of those kids and I can't wait to see what they do next!

Surviving Five Miscarriages

The blog post was started on 5/5/2011 but never posted. I was digging around this old blog in hopes of finding something I posted about my Marfans (syndrome) and came across this. It's Good Friday. It's a painful day because two years in a row I found out I had lost my babies on Good Friday. Not a good day for me (but then again, it wasn't a "good" day for Jesus either). Below is the post that I wrote almost 6 years ago, when I was still mourning the fact that I'd never be a mom. After the original blog post I'll add some thoughts I've recently had about this same topic - surviving five miscarriages.

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(I just realized it's been two months since I last blogged. I guess it's because I'm used to sharing what's on my mind and heart with those who read my blog. When I found out we were pregnant (about two months ago) I didn't want to share that part of my life and so I guess I stopped blogging. Really, when you're pregnant and doing everything possible to stay pregnant, it's really all that's going on in your life. I'm not pregnant anymore and so I'm back to sharing my heart. But first I need to get this topic that won't leave my mind out of the way.)

I got pregnant the first time with my previous husband a little over 10 years ago. Around 10 weeks I went in for the first ultrasound and there was no heartbeat and the baby was underdeveloped. I waited two weeks to have the miscarriage and nearly went out of my mind waiting. I ended up having a D&C and went into a depression for about 6 months. We weren't trying to get pregnant and I was able to finish my degree because I lost the baby, but I mourned the loss of that baby for years.

Jason and I started trying to get pregnant shortly after we got married. (I was in my upper 30's so time was not on our side.) After two years of nothing, last year we got pregnant three times in six months. The first time we lost the baby 4 days after we got a positive test (January 2010). The second time we found out in February that we were pregnant again and on Good Friday (early April) we had an ultrasound and found out we had a blighted ovum. (That's a placenta with no baby.) In May we found out we were pregnant again (accidentally this time). In late June we were told that we had lost the pregnancy and this time it was twins. One was a blighted ovum and the other one was undeveloped. (Twins!)

After the January miscarriage I tested positive for anti-phosolipids syndrome. (Google it if you're interested.) What this means is that I had to have twice-daily injections of heparin. NOT fun. I also had to have blood tests every 2-3 days to check my progesterone and hcg levels. (The hcg levels should double every 2-3 days. If not, it's a good sign you'll miscarry.) So with each pregnancy the shots and blood test would start. I felt like a pin cushion.

After the June miscarriage we decided to try losing weight in hopes of increasing our chances of having a full term pregnancy. We started Medifast in July and by November Jason had lost 45 pounds and I had lost 42. And then we started trying to get pregnant again.

This time we found out we were pregnant in March and at six weeks we got to see a heartbeat. I really got my hopes up this time. However, two weeks later we went in for another ultrasound and there was no heartbeat. In fact, my doctor had a difficult time finding the baby. To say we were heartbroken and disappointed is an understatement. As we were driving home the definition of insanity came to mind - doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. As sad as we were, neither of us were that surprised. From our previous experiences last year we had always been preparing ourselves for the worst. And we got the worst.

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I guess I stopped because I wasn't sure what else to say. Six years later I'm still not sure how I'd end that blog post. I know now that I doubt I would have become a teacher if I had become a mom. Part of my healing was looking to the future instead of the past and seeking a new outcome for my life. It took some time but God slowly gave me a new dream - being a teacher. I always said that I had a lot of love to give kids and a lot of kids out there need love and I knew God would bring those kids to me. I had NO idea at the time that it would be around 100 every year. What a huge honor and responsibility - and I love it.

I'll be honest though, I still cry over my unborn babies. I didn't name them. They're more known to me by the year and month I was pregnant with them. So many of my other friends have names for their lost babies, but I guess after losing 6 babies, it's just too much. I know that I'll have 6 little ones to meet in heaven and they'll let me know their names then.

I call myself a non-mom and avoid Mother's day like the plague. (This year some other non-moms and I are renting a cabin in Hocking Hills to get away and hopefully not have strangers wish us a happy mother's day.) Over and over I tell people I'm not a mom. But for a few months I was. For a few months I gave myself injections to try to stay pregnant. My belly was bruised and I dreaded those twice daily shots. A couple times I was traveling and had to do the injections in the bathroom of a strange airport or an office in another city. When I remember those times, they're reminders that I was a mom, and that I'll get to be that mom I dreamed of someday, but probably not on this earth.

Recently I was digging through my bathroom closet trying to find some mousse or other hair product. There's a shelf above my head where I put larger items and my hand ran across a box. When I brought it down it was a box of alcohol wipes. I wasn't even thinking and opened it to see how many were in there and there was a heparin syringe on top. All the tears came back. The frustration of losing babies, of giving myself the shots that didn't make a difference, of having to correct people and tell them I'm not a mom, of not getting the life I dreamed of when so many others do.

Surviving miscarriages is hard. It takes therapy. It takes understand family and friends (thank you!!!). It takes strength and courage that God gave me because I didn't have it. It takes an outlet, mine was music - David Crowder Band's Church Music CD got me through. It takes having the courage to let go of one dream and embrace another.

I'm sharing my experience in hopes that someone else finds encouragement after a broken dream. And also so that my friends understand why Mother's Day is difficult for me, and why I stay away from posts that act like they'd be nothing if they weren't parents. Or anything else that insinuates that my life is empty, lonely, or meaningless because I don't have children. (Most don't actually say this, they just say the opposite which implies it.)

For my other non-mom friends, please know that you're not less-than because you don't have little ones. You're not any less of a woman, any less beautiful, any less designed to have an amazing purpose in this world. And if you're married, your marriage isn't meaningless because you don't/can't have kids. God designed each of us beautifully, with different purposes, and he wants us each to have a full life (an ABUNDANT life) regardless if we have kids or not.

You're so loved, never forget it for a moment.

Temperature Blanket - April Update

My temperature blanket

I tried to post this on facebook, but it wouldn't let me add photos. So off to my old blog I went!

(Click on photos to see a larger size.)

I’m a weatherphile - someone who loves (perhaps obsesses about) the weather. I check the weather on my phone several times a day, especially the temperature and barometer. I have a personal blog and I make sure the temperature at the moment I’m writing the blog shows up with the date stamp. (It just seems important to me.)

So when I heard about a Temperature Blanket, I was intrigued. There’s not a lot out there on how to do them, so I decided to just come up with something myself. First, I picked the pattern for the blanket. If you do 365 days, then that’s 365 rows. That’s a pretty big blanket. Something with single crochets is going to be better than double crochets. So I went to Pinterest and started looking for crocheted blankets with small rows. I chose a zig zag pattern, shown here: https://youtu.be/EtASaX4pcVQ I thought it would look nice with the random colors being next to each other.

I practiced this pattern to get an idea of how to do it and also how big the rows would be. I decided I was only going to do 6 months worth to get the cool colors on one end and the warm colors on the other end. (Instead of warm colors in the middle with the cool colors on the ends.) So I decided to do 2 rows per color - back and forth. This would look great for the pattern I chose above.

I decided to do a blanket that would cover me while I lay on the couch. So it’s got to be 6’ long and about 5’ wide. I did some math (using ratios and proportions) and decided to chain 330 to start. (Using the pattern above, you pick a multiple of 5, then add 5 more stitches.) It’s looooong.

I did the foundation chain, and came back with the color for the first day. Then I did the next day, which was another color, and came back. I think those two rows took me 2 hours. (I was still getting the hang of the pattern and double-checking all my counts.) I was 20 days behind and decided right then that I was only going to do ONE row per day. And now I’m not sure if I’ll do 6 months, 8 months, or 12 months. (Doing 8 months would give me the extremes of both the cold and warm weather.) The problem with this is that the way the pattern is, you crochet into the back part of the stitch, which offsets the rows. So you’ll see some colors on one side, but barely see them on the other side. The two photos below show opposite sides of the same part of the blanket. On the left you can see the purple (raisin) rows and the green row very easily, but on the right these are hidden.

So I’d recommend either making the blanket smaller and doing two rows per day, or pick a different pattern. There are zig zag patterns out there that go into the whole stitch, but you’ll have to find those; I haven’t tried it. Next year I might do a scarf instead of a blanket; it’ll end up looking like the one on Doctor Who. ;)

Recommendations on picking yarn (as important as picking the pattern!) - Go into your favorite craft store, look for a brand of yarn with a lot of selections. I chose Caron’s Simply Soft and ended up not getting the color choices I wanted. They were $2.59 on sale, but I had to order 3 colors that weren’t on sale and they ranged from $5-6. Ouch. Also, if I need more of those colors, I’ll probably have to order them again. I hope they’re available. I only bought one skein of each color and will go back and buy more as I need them. (Only God knows how many days it’ll be in the 30’s or 60’s.)

I picked 12 colors, but you can pick 8 or 10. The number of colors you chose determines the scale of your temperatures. You also need to have a good idea of what the temperature range is in your area. I’d pick a different scale for Florida than for Ohio. Once you pick your range, find out the temperature change between the highest and lowest temps. Divide this number by the number of colors you’ve bought, and that will be how many degrees are in each range. Mine ended up being 7. (I’ll post my table soon.) I fiddled with the temps for a bit until I was happy with how the colors lined up with the temps. My upper and lower numbers will be more than 7, just in case we have really extreme temperatures.

The last part is keeping track of the temperature during the day. I decided to pick the temperature at noon, because you know sometimes the high is at 1am and by noon it’s 20 degrees colder. Also, noon shows up on many websites, so that makes it easier too. On my chart I put the date, the temp at noon, and then write down what color I’m using for that day. I’ve found it makes it a lot easier to plan out my rows when I don’t have to keep referring to my chart. Here's the site I've been using to keep track of the temperature at noon. http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/dayton/historic

I've been keeping the cooler colors in this cinch-top bin by thirtyone. It's been discontinued, but there's still quite a few of these out there. I just wish it had pockets to keep my needle, scissors, and other little items in. The nice thing is that I close it up at night to keep the kitties out of my yarn.

The photo below is the 31 rows of January. It's folded over so you can see both sides. The dark purple was our first snow day due to the extreme cold. I believe the high that day was 13 degrees. I hope I don't have to use that color any more. The last two days were in the 60's, so those are the two lime green rows you see at the top. It's currently about 6' wide so it'll be a BIG blanket when it's done. 

I love how the blanket is turning out. It might seem boring to keep doing a single crochet over and over (though it's in the back of the stitch) but I love how the colors are coming together. The combination of temperatures is turning out to be very beautiful!

I’ll keep updating this as I go and adding photos of my progress. (And any changes I’d recommend.)

Starting a new career at 40

I love math. Like in a weird way. If I could do math every day I would be in heaven. Not science, not computer stuff, just math. I received my math degree from Wright State in 2002. I wanted to teach but didn't want to take the additional time (and money) to get my teaching certification. I hoped that at some point I'd have the opportunity to get into a program where I could get my certification. However I couldn't find any programs near Dayton. (Mom told me about a program in Florida near her, but I wasn't sure I'd qualify for that one.)

After being an IP (Intellectual Property) Docket Clerk for 8 years, I still dreamed of doing something else. I'm an excellent docket clerk, I know my field and do my job well. However, it's not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Early last year I saw an article in the Dayton Daily News about the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship. I had several friends who also had Math or Technology degrees, so I told them about it. My friend Nikki applied, and she was accepted! She was part of the first class of Woodrow Wilson fellows to go through the University of Dayton. I thought about applying last year but I wasn't sure I wanted to be a teacher.

As Nikki went through the program I was a little envious that she was on her way to becoming a math teacher. Last December I started looking into the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship. I finished my application in February and started the wait. In March I found out I was a finalist and invited to an interview in Toledo.

I had about 10 days to prepare my presentation on a topic in my field (I chose Pythagorean theorem) and get ready for my taped interview. My presentation went well, and the group discussion went well. But then I walked into my individual interview, which was taped, and I fell apart. My interviewer asked why it took so long to finish my degree and he asked about all the jobs I've had. My insecurities came out and I started saying things I'd never say in an interview. I went home feeling defeated and knew I had blown it. I started thinking about applying next year and what I'd do different to make sure I got it next time.

At the end of April I had given up all hope that I was going to get the fellowship. And then I got the email - the one that congratulated me that I was selected as a Woodrow Wilson fellow. I was at work and practically ran to a conference room to call Jason and let him know. I then called my supervisor at work and let her know. (She had known since December that I was planning on applying.) And then I called my mom, of course. And then I tried to go back to work. It was so difficult to concentrate when I knew my whole life was about to change.

So next Monday I start my Masters in Education at the University of Dayton. It's an intensive 14 month program and I'll be done next August and teaching in the fall of 2014. I start shadowing a teacher this fall, and then I'll do my student teaching in the winter. Most likely I'll end up teaching at Dayton Public Schools when I'm done.

For more information about the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship, here's the website: http://www.wwteachingfellowship.org/

Please pass this on to anyone you know who has a math, science, technology or engineering degree and is interested in teaching.

Also, if you'd like to see my profile on the Woodrow Wilson site, here's the link: http://www.wwteachingfellowship.org/fellow/2013-ohio-bios.php

Wish me luck! :)

Preparing for Trip #7 to Honduras!

In a matter of days, Jason and I leave for Honduras! I'm excited, but I haven't even started to think about packing. To be honest, I have bags in the closet of the things I normally take to Honduras. There's a zip lock in the bathroom with Imodium, Tums, bug spray, spray sun block, allergy medicine, band-aids, chapstick, etc. I also have a supply of large zip-lock bags in the bathroom for other items. My summer clothes all in one place, so those are ready to be rolled up and packed into 2-gallon zip lock bags. I just grab and go, it's like packing to go see my Florida parents.

However, this trip is like no other trip we've ever taken. We booked our own plane tickets, we booked our own hotel (actually, bed & breakfast), and other than the trips to go see our sponsor children, we'll be planning what we do each day in San Pedro Sula. Honduras has become like a second home to me and I'm so excited to do more exploring this time, instead of being part of a trip that's pre-planned by someone else. We have two friends coming with us, whom I met on my last trip to Honduras last October. Martin is from Pennsacola, Florida, and Chris is from Chicago. We're meeting in Atlanta and then flying into San Pedro Sula together. (They're also staying at the bed & breakfast.)

The first full day we're there, we'll meet Jason's sponsor child, Henry Enok, for the first time. He's six years old and we may be his first sponsors. We're already picking out toy cars for him. We'll take him and his family to lunch and then go to a mall that hopefully has an arcade where we can play for the afternoon. He's at HO-329, where we were last October. Martin and Chris are coming with us and we're hoping to see some of the other children who grabbed our hearts 6 months ago. (I have a balloon pump and balloons for Bayron.)

After we leave HO-329, we'll take a quick trip to HO-372 to see a well in progress. Not just any well, but a well that the team from our October trip, along with our churches and families, raised over $10,000 to help build. We fell in love with the children and the staff at HO-372 and wanted to do what we could to make sure the kids have clean drinking water. It'll probably just be a hole in the ground, but we'll be pretty excited to see it.

The next day Jason and I are going to HO-334 to visit my sponsor girl, Ana Melissa who is 13 years old. I got her first letter since I met her at the water park last October and she feels bad that she was so shy and didn't say much. I want her to know that I got to know so much about her in that day at the water park, and that's what means the most to me. I'm sure she'll be more comfortable around me this next time and we'll have a chance to talk more. We'll also take her family to lunch and then go visit another mall. Taking a 13 year old girl to a mall is completely different than taking a 6 year old boy. :)

Martin and Chris will go visit Martin's sponsor child and then take him to Zizima, the water park we went to last October. Chris' three sponsor children will meet them at Zizima that afternoon. Jason and Ana aren't water park people, so that's why we chose to do the mall instead. (And I'll be happier away from the bugs that got me last year at Zizima.)

The next day we're hoping to go out to Copan to visit the Mayan ruins. The day after this Chris and Martin go back to the states and Jason and I are planning on going to a Baptist church in San Pedro Sula. I'm looking forward to singing well-known hymns in Spanish. We have the rest of the day together to do some shopping, or who knows what trouble we'll get into. Ha. Actually, I'd like to visit an orphanage while we're there, but I'm still not sure how to set this up. Transportation and communication are still issues for us. Touristy stuff is easy to arrange, trips to places with more poverty, not so much.

So here's the reason for this blog... we're looking for donations to take to the projects we're going to visit, and also gifts for Henry and Ana and their families. Here's a list of suggested items for the projects:

Crafts:

Construction paper
Crayons or colored pencils
Glue sticks
Small children’s scissors
Drawing Paper
Lots of stickers
Photocopied coloring pages
Bubbles
Balloons

Toys/Games: (gently used or new is great)
Long jump rope
Balls (soccer, basketball, tennis, inflatable beach balls are great too)
Pumps, extra needles
Frisbees
Memory

Uno
Flash cards (math or English/Spanish)
(If you want to buy a game other than those listed above, make sure there's instructions in Spanish.)
Cars
Trucks
Books (with pictures or very easy English words)
Puzzles

Anything else you might think of would be great. Send me a message if you'd like to drop off any items or I can come pick them up. We have time to run around and pick up items this Saturday, May 4th, and Monday evening, May 6th.

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement!!

Giving Up or Taking On for Lent

Most people give up something for Lent. I realize it's like fasting, but why? Yes, I grew up Baptist, and Baptists don't do much for Lent, other than prepare themselves for the Easter season coming up.

(Sidenote: I used to work at the University of Dayton, which is a Catholic university. I remember the first time I saw people walking around with ash on their foreheads. I had no idea it was Ash Wednesday and was quite freaked out. I finally asked someone and I'm pretty sure they couldn't believe I had never heard of this Lenten tradition. I'm sad I missed the chance to take part of Ash Wednesday while I worked there.)

I've never given up anything for Lent. A lot of my friends have, even the ones who aren't Catholic, but I've never seen the point of denying yourself something for just a season. There's a lot of things I could sacrifice and give up but if they're healthy, it would be bad to give them up. And if they're not healthy, then I'm just doing what I should have done anyway. Right?

Last year I decided I wanted to give up something for Lent. I went through the laundry list of things people usually give up: chocolate, fast food, soda pop, facebook, etc. And then it hit me, I was going to give up sleeping in and read my Bible each morning instead. (When something "hits me" I assume it's God and I go with it.) So on February 22nd last year, I set my alarm to go off every day at 6:30 am and I woke up and read my Bible. And every day of Lent, I woke up at 6:30 and read my Bible. (There was a vacation in Gatlinburg where I didn't set my alarm, but I did make sure I read my Bible as soon as I woke up.)

And for the past ten months I have continue to read my Bible as soon as I wake up. This is something I've never done before. Yeah, I'll admit it, I haven't regularly read my Bible for an entire year since High School. I'm not proud to admit it, but I wanted to share because a habit started from deciding to give up something for Lent. A GOOD habit. No, I don't get up at 6:30 am to read anymore, but I do know I need to set my alarm about 20 minutes before I need to get out of bed so I have time to do my reading.

In the past if I had time to read, I'd read a book and then if I had extra time, I might read my Bible. Now I have that time in the morning to read, and it's always my Bible. And if I have extra time, I'll read another book. I enjoy reading my Bible. I crave reading my Bible. The stories are all fitting together and almost daily I have an "ah-ha!" moment. It's pretty awesome.

(Sidenote #2: If you're a friend of mine on facebook, you'll notice that I post almost daily that I've finished my daily reading. This is a way of being accountable and hopefully I'll inspire someone else to read their Bible that day.)

This morning I read day 322 of the Chronological reading plan through YouVersion on my ipad. I'll finish on March 27, 2013. I'm about a month behind, so no, I didn't read every day, but after 322 days I've missed about 30 days. I think that's pretty good. Especially considering my previous record. (Which would be more like missing about 322 days and reading on 30 days.)

Tomorrow starts the new Lenten season for 2013. I have no idea what I'm giving up this year, but I have a feeling it's sleeping in again. I'll definitely be setting my alarm for 6:30 and getting up and doing... something. Running? Laundry? Cleaning the attic? Actually, I might take that extra time and work on relationships. Anyone want to get coffee at 6:30 tomorrow? ;)

I'm blogging this to encourage you to give up something you don't really need to take on a good, healthy habit that you actually stick with after Lent is over. Hopefully you'll also find that the "have to" period turns into a "get to" period. When you don't have to do something anymore, will you still want to do it?

My Bucket List (as of 12/15/12)

I have a friend who has a bucket list. I thought she was a bit too young, but then as I saw her cross items off of her bucket list and continually add more, I was inspired!

At first I had no idea what I would put on my bucket list. I wondered if I just didn't have things I wanted to do before I died. But I do, I just hadn't thought about it.

First I was thinking of things like "ride in a hot air balloon" or "travel to Rome." But the more I thought about it the more I don't care if I do those things. These are things for other people, but my list will be mine. And because they're my items, I'm sure many of them won't be understood by those who aren't me. All that matters is that I have my list, and that it's a work in progress.

(These are in no particular order. Just whatever happens to come to me as I make this list.)

1. Run the Air Force Half Marathon (goal, 2013)
2. Run the Air Force Marathon (goal, 2014)
3. Run the Flying Pig Half (I want the medal with the pig butt on it)
4. Run the Indy 500 Half (I want to run on the race track!)
5. Run the Disney Princess Half Marathon. With a tutu and tiara.
6. Take my mom to Honduras.
7. Attend a wedding in Honduras.
8. Be fluent in Spanish.
9. Have a child to tell me their life is better because I was there.
10. Travel to all 50 states.
11. Become a member of Mensa.
12. Visit Scotland (and then reread the Outlander series).
13. Meet Michael W. Smith (and be able to talk).
14. Sing harmony with Michael W. Smith (yeah I know it's a long shot).

This is it for now. There's about 20 other items going through my head but I need to think about them further and really make sure they need to be added to the list. Because once they're on the list, they're not coming off.

Stories from Honduras - Part 3

This is the story that is probably the hardest to tell, and yet, the one you've been waiting to hear. Everyone wants to know what happened when I met Ana, my sponsor girl. Well, I had imagined it would be all smiles, hugs, laughing, and lots of chatting and getting to know each other. I didn't expect Ana to be the most incredibly shy 12-year-old I've ever met. She's absolutely beautiful, and she's taller than I expected! And she's creative, and talented, and so incredibly sweet. But she's not a talker. And she's not  goofy/dorky like me. And saying goodbye wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. But we made a connection, and I feel much more attached to her than I did before I made the trip to meet her. And for that it was worth it.



Inside the water park

Let me start at the beginning. We met at Zizima water park in San Pedro Sula. There were 36 sponsors meeting 40+ sponsor children, plus one of their parents, their project director, and anyone else who may have traveled with them. And then everyone got a translator, and those with several sponsor children (and family and project directors) got several translators. So basically there were around 200 of us at Zizima.
So how do you pair up the sponsor, with their sponsor children, the people who traveled with them, and the translators? One at a time.


Taken from inside the bus. I see Ana!

We all sat on the buses (two of them) with a huge group of people out in front of Zizima waiting on us. They called out the child's name, then found a translator, then they would come on one of the buses trying to find the sponsor. As we got off the bus we'd hand our camera to one of the leaders and they would take photos of us meeting our sponsor children - most of us for the first time.


So one by one we watched our new friends be able to finally hug the children they had been writing to and praying about for so long. And I kept watching and taking photos, and watching and taking photos... and I started to realize that I was going to be one of the last to meet their sponsor child. I wasn't last, but I think I was next to last.


Do you see Ana? She's way in the back in the middle wearing a black and pink shirt.

Finally the moment came. Poor Ana looked so overwhelmed by everything. I gave her a quick tight hug and then we headed into the water park.



Meeting Ana.

I see a smile. :)

The shirt I'm wearing is Ana's artwork.

Ana didn't say much that day, but I could tell she was trying. Our translator, Maria, was 15 years old (16 in November) and a High School student. (They had to find over 50 translators and so they found High School students who were fluent in English.) Maria had never translated before, but she did a great job and Ana definitely trusted her. I think it helped to have someone close to Ana's age.


Ana, me, and Maria

The three of us hung out on the lazy river, floating in tubes, and then went to the wave pool and hung out there too. In the afternoon we played volleyball for awhile. Ana said she liked volleyball, but Maria didn't really know how to play. There were seven on our team, and four on the other and we still didn't do very well. But we laughed and had a great time.

Part of the lazy river.



The wave pool.

I got to talk to Ana's mother and her project director and ask questions about Ana progress. They both told me about how incredibly shy Ana used to be and that's she's really come out of her shell. Really? The phrase "painfully shy" comes to mind. It meant that much more to me that Ana was asking me questions and answering my questions.

Ana, me and her mom.

At the end of the day it was gift time. I had some items for Ana, her mom, her dad and her brothers. I gave her a photo album with some pictures of Dayton and some bits and pieces of my life. I wrote out my favorite scriptures in Spanish and put them in the photo album too. And then I told Ana that I love her, I care about her and she's important to me. I told her that I think she's very creative, that I believe in her, and that I want her to dream big dreams. That is the one thing I really wanted her to know.

And then they left. I hugged them all and said goodbye and they left the park. As I was standing there by myself I watched as other children were crying and clinging to their sponsors. I felt like I did something wrong, that maybe I should have asked them to stay longer, or maybe I should have tried harder to connect with her so she wouldn't have left so quickly. Honestly, I was disappointed and I started questioning if we even connected at all.


Most of the group. (Several families had left by this point.)

 Once we got back to the hotel I had some time by myself to reflect and think about the day. When I finally stopped comparing my experience to everyone else's I started realizing that I had a wonderful day with Ana. That she's 12, incredibly shy, and that just hanging out talking about our favorite music, our favorite food, our favorite colors, etc. was probably the best way to spend time with her. I look back at the pictures that were taken and I see Ana smiling in most of them. That means the world to me.

I think it was more difficult to get some of the older kids to open up. Several other sponsors with older kids voiced the same concerns that I did. That's when I have to remind myself that it's not about what *I* get out of the experience, it's about showing them love, giving them hope, and helping them succeed. I intend to continue to pursue a friendship with Ana and get to know her better through letter writing. And hopefully when I see her again, it won't be so overwhelming.

A moment comes to mind... later in the day Maria told me that I was a lot of fun. Maria told Ana what she said and Ana agreed. I guess goofy/dorky can be translated. Having a 12 year old and a 15 year old tell me I'm fun feels like a win.

I've posted some of the photos I took while waiting on the bus. I was sitting in the front and thankfully I got to snap some photos of sponsors meeting their children. If these photos warm your heart, maybe you'll consider sponsoring a child? Start here... http://www.compassion.com/

Becky meeting her girl.

Dianne and her sponsor girl.

Brenda meeting her sponsor child. They played volleyball with us too.

Brenda and her son's mom.

Mac with one of their sponsor kids.

Lisa with another of their sponsor kids.

Shelly meeting her sponsor girl.

Cat and her sponsor child.

Todd and his sponsor boy.

Joan's girl couldn't even wait for her to get off the bus! :)